Page 60 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

"It sucked, but everything worked out in the end so that we can move past it all."

April nodded. "I suppose." She looked around the apartment. "And you're sure you're okay with me being here? I don't want to intrude. Not like I have many options."

"Of course. We have the space."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that because Riley will stay in your room, and I'll take the guest room?"

Riley snorted. "Would you like me to sleep in the spare bedroom with you?"

April scrunched her nose. "No. But if I hear you guys fucking through the walls, I will scream."

Riley and I laughed. It felt good to get everything out and talk about it. Riley hugged April, and as I watched them, I knew it was all going to be okay. We still had things to figure out, but that was okay.

Chapter 27 - Riley

I closed the door to the bedroom and looked at Cayden, who was standing in the bathroom. He was brushing his teeth when his eyes snapped up in the mirror on me. He smiled. "Hey, you good?"

I nodded with a smile, walking into the bathroom with him. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure April is passed out. She was snoring when I walked by the bedroom."

Cayden laughed as he spit into the sink and wiped his mouth. "Do you need any help?"

"I need to change," I said, pulling my sling off, trying not to flinch. I couldn't deny that my shoulder hurt. It was more sore than anything. Cayden gave me a hand, helping me pull off my shirt and unclip my bra. He helped me pull on a new shirt before he helped me climb into bed, pulling the sheets back for me.

I yawned, feeling all the day's events starting to weigh on me. I decided to take some medication before bed just in case it started hurting more in the night.

"You think April is going to be okay?" I asked as he climbed into the bed next to me. "She didn't exactly tell us much about the divorce."

"Well, I'm sure she has a lot on her mind, just like you did when you got here. Give her a little time to settle, and I'm sure she'll open up."

I understood that, but April seemed off, and it worried me. I hadn't expected her just to be okay with Cayden and me being together as quickly as she had. I expected her to be a little angry, even more, when she found out how long we've known we were mated to each other.

"Are you okay?" Cayden asked, glancing at my shoulder. "Do you need any pain meds?"

I shook my head. "I took some earlier. It's just stiff, is all. The medication should kick in soon."

I could see the worry on his face, so I reached out, rubbing my thumb over his cheek. "But thank you for asking. It's nice to have someone worry about me. It's refreshing."

"I will always worry about you, Riley. You're the most important person to me." He took my hand and kissed the back of it. "You should know I'll do anything for you."

His words pulled at my heartstrings. I knew he meant the words. He had helped me change my life in such a short time, and I didn't even know it was possible. I didn't think there was anything better out there.

I went from a shitty relationship with no clear view of what I wanted to do with my life to being so deeply in love that I didn't want to imagine what life would be like without him. I had an amazing job that made me so happy, and I was around kids enjoying them.

Which sparked a new conversation.

"Since we have already opened the can of worms, should we maybe discuss everything else?"

Cayden looked at me, confused. "About?"

"Should I just stay here?" I asked, "Since we are together….is there really a need for me to move out? If you want me to, I will, but if not...I'd like to say."

"Only if you want to," Cayden said, giving me a soft smile. "But if I had a choice, I would love for you to say."

I smiled at him. "Then I will."

He leaned closer, moving a strand of loose hair. "Speaking of living together, what do you want your future to look like? With us?"

I thought about it, imagining a wedding and children. But they were things that I didn't want to wait on. It took me years to have Cayden, and I didn't want to wait longer.

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